1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a braiding apparatus for forming a braiding layer around a mandrel using a braiding unit, and more particularly, to a braiding unit moving type braiding apparatus capable of obtaining extremely efficient braiding composition according to form (shape, size and the like) of the mandrel.
2. Related Background Art
As is well known, a conventional braiding apparatus is of a mandrel movable type as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-276502 (Abstract, FIGS. 1 and 4) in which a braiding unit is fixed, the mandrel is moved with respect to the fixed braiding unit, and a braiding layer is formed around the mandrel.
The mandrel movable type braiding apparatus is applied to a mandrel which is straight and has a certain length, and the physical characteristics such as shape and size of the mandrel to which the braiding apparatus can be applied are limited.
When a mandrel having a long length L (e.g., several meters) and a curved portion as shown in FIG. 1 is to be braided by the conventional mandrel moving type braiding apparatus, since the conventional braiding apparatus chucks one side of the mandrel using a mandrel moving device such as a robot, a moving range of the other side becomes extremely large, it is impossible to chuck and thus, the mandrel is braided in a one-side chucking manner, so that a mandrel having a size of several meters can not be braided because of the tension of a braid yarn or the weight of the mandrel.